Care home inspection and complaints

Request data on care home inspections, grades, complaints, and enforcement action.

The Care Inspectorate regulates care homes for older people, adults, and children across Scotland. An FOI request can reveal how homes in your area are performing and whether concerns are being acted on.

Dear [AUTHORITY NAME], Please provide the following information for [FINANCIAL YEAR e.g. 2024-25]: 1. The number of care home inspections carried out in [AREA e.g. council area or health board area], broken down by inspection type (announced, unannounced). 2. A breakdown of inspection grades awarded, using the Care Inspectorate's quality framework. 3. The number of complaints received about care homes in the area and the number upheld. 4. The number of enforcement actions taken (e.g. improvement notices, conditions imposed, cancellation of registration). I would prefer to receive this as a spreadsheet or CSV if possible. Yours faithfully, [YOUR NAME]
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Who to send it to#

The Care Inspectorate. Find their contact details on the Commissioner’s directory of Scottish public authorities. You can also send your request through WhatDoTheyKnow, which publishes responses online.

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Tips#

  • The Care Inspectorate publishes inspection reports and grades on its website. Check what is already available for individual homes before submitting your request.
  • This request is most useful for getting aggregate data for an area. Individual inspection reports are already public but area-level trends often are not.
  • If you are interested in a specific care home, name it in the request for a more focused response.
  • You can also request information about the care home from the council or NHS board that commissions placements there.